These buttery shortbread biscuits are dipped in chocolate with chopped hazelnuts sprinkled on top. They are crunchy with the perfect flavour and make lovely Christmas gifts when boxed up.
I love baking biscuits, especially around Christmas time. I particularly love shortbread biscuits, anything with chocolate and anything with nuts. This recipe is one of my favourites as it combines all three and in just the right ratios. I must admit, I’m totally obsessed with these biscuits.
These biscuits taste amazing and they are so easy to make. You can use milk or dark chocolate but I find a combination of the two creates the perfect balance. If you don’t eat nuts, you can still make the recipe and just leave them out. I’ve tried them without the nuts and they are just as good. If you are into the nuts then you can use any of your favourite types. I. sometimes use pecan nuts but the hazelnuts do make these biscuits very special.
Ingredients for Chocolate Hazelnut Vanilla Shortbread Biscuits
- Sugar – use caster sugar or any fine sugar for this recipe.
- Butter – use unsalted butter. Butter should be slightly soft.
- Vanilla extract – use good quality vanilla.
- Salt – just a little to balance the sweetness.
- Bicarbonate soda – raising agents give the biscuits the perfect texture.
- Flour – use plain or all-purpose flour.
- Chocolate – you can use milk or dark chocolate. I use a combination of both.
- Hazelnuts – finely chopped. You can also use chopped pecans.
How to Make Chocolate Hazelnut Vanilla Shortbread Biscuits
1. To a stand mixer bowl, add the sugar and butter then using a paddle attachment, cream them together until light, fluffy and well combined. You can also use a hand mixer for this step. Add in the vanilla extract, salt, bicarbonate soda and flour and mix until a dough forms. Bring the dough together, wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for 15 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/350oF/180oC then remove the dough from the fridge. Lightly, flour a clean surface then roll out the dough to around ½ cm in thickness. Using a 7cm cutter, cut as many circles as you can and using a spatula, place them on a non-stick baking sheet or a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bring the scraps together until smooth then reroll and repeat the step until all the dough is used.
3. Bake the biscuits in the oven for 13 - 14 minutes turning the baking sheet half way through. When you remove them from the oven, allow the biscuits to sit on the baking sheet for 15 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack to completely cool.
4. Place the chocolate in a microwavable bowl and melt the chocolate at 40 second increments until mostly melted then remove and mix with a spoon to fully melt. Dip 1 third of a biscuit into the chocolate and use a spoon help spread the chocolate further up the biscuit if necessary. Allow any excess chocolate to drip off the biscuit into the chocolate bowl then place the biscuit back on the cooling rack and sprinkle on some chopped nuts. Repeat the process with the remaining biscuits.
Recipe Tips
- It is fine to reroll the scraps for this recipe. The recipe makes around 16 biscuits when the scraps are rerolled.
- I use a round cutter that measures 7cm or 2¾ inches.
- These biscuits are meant to be on the thicker side so ensure you do not roll the dough out too thinly.
- Keep an eye on the biscuits when they are baking to avoid them burning. Though I recommend around 13 - 15 minutes, discrepancies in the thickness of the biscuits will cause the baking time to vary.
- I buy my hazelnuts already chopped but you can buy roast nuts and chop them yourself.
Nutrition
Nutrition based on 1 serving - Calories: 167kcal | Fat: 9.9g | Saturates: 6.2g | Carbs: 17.3g | Sugar: 8.5g | Fibre: 0.4g | Protein: 1.8g | Salt: 0.05g.
Storage
You can store these shortbread biscuits at room temperature in an airtight container and they can last up to 5 days.
Recipes you may like!
- Toffee Shortbread dipped in Chocolate with Pecan Nuts
- Lemon Drizzle Biscuits
- Caramel Shortbread Bars (Millionaires Shortbread)
Chocolate Hazelnut Vanilla Shortbread Biscuits
Ingredients
- 90g caster sugar
- 145g unsalted butter slightly soft
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate soda
- 200g plain flour
- 125g chocolate milk chocolate, dark chocolate or a mixture of both.
- 45g roasted hazelnuts or pecans chopped
Instructions
- To a stand mixer bowl, add the sugar and butter then using a paddle attachment, cream them together until light, fluffy and well combined. You can also use a hand mixer for this step. Add in the vanilla extract, salt, bicarbonate soda and flour and mix until a dough forms. Bring the dough together, wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/350oF/180oC then remove the dough from the fridge. Lightly, flour a clean surface then roll out the dough to around ½ cm in thickness. Using a 7cm cutter, cut as many circles as you can and using a spatula, place them on a non-stick baking sheet or a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bring the scraps together until smooth then reroll and repeat the step until all the dough is used.
- Bake the biscuits in the oven for 13 minutes turning the baking sheet half way through. When you remove them from the oven, allow the biscuits to sit on the baking sheet for 15 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack to completely cool.
- Place the chocolate in a microwavable bowl and melt the chocolate at 40 second increments until mostly melted then remove and mix with a spoon to fully melt. Dip 1 third of a biscuit into the chocolate and use a spoon help spread the chocolate further up the biscuit if necessary. Allow any excess chocolate to drip off the biscuit into the chocolate bowl then place the biscuit back on the cooling rack and sprinkle on some chopped nuts. Repeat the process with the remaining biscuits.
Leave a Reply